Anyone Else but You
by alwaysgold
Summary: AU Brucas. Brooke is America's Sweetheart. Lucas is the boy next door who she has loved since she was 15. The only problem is Brooke's parents have arranged a marriage between her and Julian Baker, an up-and-coming politician. How far will Brooke go to end up with the guy of her dreams? Major Brucas, minor Naley and Jeyton.
1. Chapter 1

**AU Brucas. Brooke is America's Sweetheart. Lucas is the boy next door who she has loved since she was 15. The only problem is Brooke's parents have arranged a marriage between her and Julian Baker, an up-and-coming politician. How far will Brooke go to end up with the guy of her dreams? Major Brucas, minor Naley and Jeyton.**

**All right, so this is my first fanfic that I've actually liked enough off the bat to post. I know there is no Lucas in this chapter, but he will obviously make an appearance, probably in the next chapter. Right now I am trying to decide whether or not I want to keep this in Brooke's POV or if I want to add in Lucas's POV as well. Let me know what you think!**

I shoved my way through the crowd, trying to find a way out of the madhouse. Instead of the normal smile and wave I would give to these strangers, I gave glares and growls. I had no interest in being a prop tonight. It was another stupid event I never really wanted to be at anyways. But I knew he would find me and I would once again become his doll, something to be always seen and never heard.

"Brooke, where are you going? We are going to be leaving soon," Julian said stiffly, way too formal for speaking with your fiancée. I could tell by the look on his face he wasn't happy with the disappearing act I was in the middle of pulling.

"Yeah, of course. I was just trying to find the bathroom. Too much champagne, you know?"

I was met with no response other than the glare he had been sending my way since we arrived at the party. A part of me could understand why he was so upset with me. And yet the other, larger part of me was tired of the hatred he spewed at me whenever he had the chance.

As we made our grand exit from the party, I started planning. I was going to make a grand exit from his life. Who cares if this marriage was planned by our parents as a way of improving both of our public images? I could live without being America's Sweetheart.

I just couldn't live with being the wife of Julian Baker.

* * *

_6 months earlier_

I walked into my house and could immediately tell there was something strange going on. For one, my parents were there. I knew it was a huge mistake giving them a key to my new home, but that was the deal they had made with me. I got to finally dip into my savings and have my own house, but they got a set of keys. It was ridiculous, in my opinion. I was 21 years old. I had basically been living on my own since I was 16 and my parents had moved from North Carolina to California. I was nominated for a freaking Emmy Award. And yet, my parents still had the ability to enter into my home without any warning or notifications.

"Mom, Dad… hi?" I said with just a note of confusion. I knew they would be upset if I questioned their motives too much. They always thought that the less I knew about my own life the better.

"Brooke, hello. We have some news for you," my mother replied. My parents had always been the jump right in type. We never really exchanged any pleasantries; the Davis family just got straight to the point.

It was at this moment that I noticed there was somebody else in the room. His rich brown hair had a slight wave to it and his deep brown eyes seemed vacant and cold- almost calculating.

"Who are you," I spat out. I had learned from 21 years of experience that when my parents brought somebody new home with them it typically meant nothing but bad news for me.

"Brooke dear, be polite. This is Julian Baker. He's a rising politician, your father's new business partner. And you two are now engaged."


	2. Chapter 2

We finally made it out of the party after stopping to speak with some of my father's clients who had promised campaign money to Julian.

"Do you wan to come back home with me?" Julian asked.

"Absolutely not. I'll take a cab or call Haley." Why he even asked me I would never understand. The only time I had ever actually spent with him was in public. The first outing was to get the gossip mags talking about us, the second to make people think we were serious about each other, the third to really cement that we were both monogamous and in love and so on.

"You know how bad it will look if we don't actually leave here with each other" he replied scathingly.

"Fine," I spat. "I'll leave with you, but you're dropping me off at Haley's." There. I could compromise and play nice. Besides, he did have a point. My parents would be livid if there were any rumors about trouble brewing between the two of us.

"Sounds great to me," he mumbled sarcastically.

* * *

After sitting in traffic for an hour, we finally made it to Haley's.

"Don't forget about brunch tomorrow. I'll have a car pick you up around 10," Julien barked out right as I was slamming the door to his new BMW C Class.

I ran up the stair of Haley's apartment building, finally making it to the fifth floor. I could have taken the elevator, but ever since I had been caught in one for two hours when I was 18, I had a paralyzing fear of them.

"Haaleeey, I'm home!" I called out, using our customary _I Love Lucy_ inspired greeting. When she didn't immediately respond to me, I cried her name again. "HALEY! Where are you tutor girl?" I heard a bump from her room. That was odd. I started walking towards her room. "Haley? Is everything…" I trailed off as I opened the door to her room.

"Brooke! What are you doing here? I thought you had some fancy event with Julien tonight?" she quickly said.

"What are you hiding tutor girl? Oh my god, is there a boy here!?" I cried. "Is it Nathan?" I said a bit quieter. I knew that her and Nathan had a… something going on, but I could never get either of them to admit it to me.

"Um, no… it isn't Nathan. Why would Nathan be here? We're just friends." Her hesitation told me all I needed to know. Haley was a notoriously awful liar.

"Alright Hales. You just keep telling yourself that. I guess I'll head home and let you continue your escapades with Nate. I just wanted to stop by and remind you that we have the wedding shower tomorrow. Julien is having a car pick me up at 10, and then we'll stop here and get you and Nathan. See you tomorrow!"

"Alright Tigger. Sleep tight and I'll see you in the morning"

"HA! You didn't deny that I would be getting both you and Nathan. I totally knew it!" I gloated as I walked towards the door. Haley remained in her bedroom doorway, but by the look on her face she knew she was busted.

As I walked the two blocks from Haley's apartment to my own home, I couldn't help but smile. I was so happy for my two friends. I had always thought in high school that they would make a good couple, but with Haley being tutor girl and Nathan being a captain of the basketball team, they didn't exactly run in the same social circles. I only knew Haley because she had been assigned to tutor me when I was missing large amounts of school in order to film the show that had made me America's Sweetheart, _Hermosa Beach_. Hales and I weren't exactly fast friends, but she got along with Peyton, who had been my best friend since I can remember. Before I knew it, Haley had become an integral part of our little group, that also included Jake, Peyton's boyfriend, and Lucas, my next door neighbor and Nathan's half brother.

I had finally made my way back home, and smiled when I saw the familiar faded orange truck parked across the street. I knew he would be inside, waiting for me to come home.

I walked inside and chuckled softly. There, sprawled out on my sofa and softly snoring was Lucas Scott. My best friend, former boyfriend, current…something. I wasn't entirely sure what we would qualify as. We had broken up only 8 months ago because my parents weren't exactly impressed with his less than stellar pedigree. He was the forgotten son of Dan Scott, Tree Hill's mayor, and after Dan slammed Lucas and his mother Karen in the press, my parents decided he was no longer a suitable boyfriend for Brooke Davis, Emmy winning TV actress and budding fashion designer.

"Luke, wake up," I whispered in his ear.

"Wha- oh Brooke. When did you get back home?" he mumbled back sleepily.

"Just a few minutes ago."

"Good. How was the party?" he asked as he pulled me into a hug.

"Same old shit, different location" I said as I rested my head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry babe."

"It's fine. I'm used to it at this point. Come on, let's go up to bed. I have to be ready early tomorrow for the brunch."

"Ahh, the infamous pre-wedding brunch for America's favorite couple," he said rather sarcastically.

"Broody, don't be like that. You know I don't want this wedding any more than you do."  
"I know, Cheery. I'm sorry. I just wish your parents didn't have that much control over you. I wish this didn't have to be a secret. I wish I could be the one to marry you."  
"Well don't you have quite the long wish list, hotshot," I said teasingly.

This was my favorite time. When I got to be in my home, completely away from the prying eyes of he media, my parents, Julien. Just Luke and me, together, teasing, flirting, happy. He was the love of my life. And I was bound and determined to do everything I could to make sure that when I walked down the aisle, he was the one standing at the alter.

There was no way in hell I was going to marry Julien Baker. I just had to figure out a way to convince my parents of this.


	3. Chapter 3

I woke up early the next morning and allowed myself a few minutes to relax in bed with Lucas. I knew he would have to leave soon as a prep team would arrive at 8 to start getting me ready.

As I snuggled in closer to Lucas I felt him start to stir under me and finally he opened up his eyes.

"Morning pretty girl," he said with a light smile on his face.

"Morning boyfr-" I trailed off. I supposed it wasn't appropriate to use that particular nickname anymore, now that I was going to be marrying somebody else in a few short weeks. "Sorry. Old habits die hard, you know?"

Instead of replying to my apology, he simply pulled me in for a kiss. As he continued to maneuver us so he was lying on top of me, I almost forgot that it was 7:50 and he had to be out of my house before 8.

"Wait, Luke. You need to go" I managed to get out in between small kisses.

"Just five more minutes?" he pleaded.

"In five more minutes my mother will be here."

I knew I wouldn't have to say anything else. The threat of seeing my mom again had him rolling out of bed and heading to the bathroom.

It didn't used to be this way. He used to get along great with my mom. Lucas and Karen had lived next door to us for as long as I could remember, and my parents had been great friends with Karen. They knew she was struggling with owning her own café and raising Lucas on her own, so they would help out in any way they could. That normally involved dropping off and picking up Lucas and I from school, and watching him for a few hours until him mom could close the café for the night.

He finally made his way back over to where I sat on the bed. "Bye pretty girl. I'll try to stop by tonight. I'm supposed to babysit for Jake and Peyton, but they said they shouldn't be out too late."

"Oh, well that won't be a problem. They're going to be out with Julien and me, so I'll just go back home with them and then you and I can head back here after," I suggested.

I could tell by the look on his face he wasn't happy that we would all be spending time together. He tended to get jealous of the fact that Julien was the one who spent time with my friends and me in public. He would never actually say it aloud, though. He was too nice for that. He knew that it bothered me just as much that I had to play nice and include him in my private life all for the sake of appearing like a normal couple.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door.

"Shit," Lucas mumbled, "I'll have to sneak out the back."

"I love you and I'll see you tonight, Broody. Now get your ass out of here!"

* * *

"Brooke Penelope Davis. Was that Lucas's truck I saw parked across the street?"

Damn. I knew I should have gotten him up earlier.

"I don't know Mother. He isn't here if that's what you're getting at. I haven't seen him since you and Dad made me break up with him," I snapped.

And I wasn't even technically lying. He was not currently here. She didn't have to know that he just slipped out. She just had to know that currently, there was no Lucas Scott in my house.

"Hey Brooke! Do you know what you're wearing yet?" my assistant Millie asked.

"Yeah I'm thinking the Clothes Over Bros pink sundress."

"Brooke, you really shouldn't wear pink. It looks horrible on your skin tone. Wear the white instead. It is much more appropriate for a wedding shower anyways. Get that for her Millicent" my mother said.

"Victoria, I said I wanted to wear the pink one," I challenged.

She just looked at me and I knew I was going to lose this one. Whenever I had to resort to using her first name, I had practically already lost the argument anyways.

"Fine. Millie grab the white one and the nude wedges. Oh! And that pretty pink cardigan. Not the one with the weird sleeves, but the other one!"

Millie dutifully went into my closet to find the appropriate pieces.

"Now if you would excuse me mother, I should get ready. I think we can handle it without you from here. Rachel will be here soon to do my hair and makeup, and if I need anything else Millie can take care of it."

"Fine. I'll see you at 11. And Brooke, please try and look like you're happy to be there. You won an Emmy for your acting. It really shouldn't be that difficult."

I sighed. I knew I should try harder. It was my job to convincingly portray different characters and emotions. But when it came to this whole fake romance thing in my real life, I just didn't have the desire to play it off. I wanted people and gossips to notice and say something. Maybe if they thought there was trouble in paradise my parents would come to their senses and call the entire wedding off. A girl could dream, right?

* * *

"Bitch, where are you?" Rachel called from downstairs.

"I'm in my room! I'm just going to take a quick shower and then I'm all yours!"

"Alright but be quick about it. We only have a few hours and God knows you need all the help you can get."

That's Rachel for you. She was now one of my closest friends, but when she had first been hired by my mom to be my hair and makeup person, I hated her. She was a big flirt, hitting on any over 18 males she could find. And I had even seen her be iffy with the 18 and up rule. The first impression I had of her was her hitting on Lucas, who had still been my boyfriend at the time, on the set of my show. After yelling at her for around two hours and not speaking to Lucas for a day, we had realized that we really had a lot in common and quickly became friends, and then before I knew it, she was accepted into our little group.

When I stepped out of the shower ten minutes later I saw that Millie had hung the clothes on the door and quickly got dressed. I had to admit, albeit grudgingly, that my mom had a point about the white dress. It really was much more appropriate for my wedding shower than the pink dress I had picked out.

"Damn Brooke, you clean up nice," Rachel purred after she had finished with me.

When I looked in the mirror, I saw that Rachel had had gone above and beyond. My normally straight hair hung in loose waves down my back. The sides were pinned back, allowing my face to be seen easier. For my makeup, she had kept it simple and appropriate for the 11am brunch. Just a hint of brown shimmery eye shadow, a bit of mascara, some light pink blush, and a peach colored lipstick.

"Thanks Rach. You really outdid yourself this time."

"I know. That's what friends are for though, right?"

"Right. God I wish you could come with me to this thing. I know I'll have Haley and Nathan, but I need all the backup I can get."

"You'll do fine Brooke. Just think in a couple of hours this whole day will be over, and then you don't have to see him again until next week."  
"That's true. I just wish I didn't have to see him again, period. Why do my parents have to control my life? It isn't fair."

"Why do you let them? It's your money. Even if they don't give you the trust, you have more than enough from _Hermosa_ to be fine for a long time."

"I know. It isn't about that though. It's more complicated." I hesitated, not wanting to tell her what they had threatened me with. While they truly weren't the best parents, they were all I had, and I didn't want my friends to hate them more than they already did for making me go through with this fake marriage.

"Well, whatever it is, you shouldn't let them control your life. It's your life. And you need to start living it."

I sighed. I wasn't really sure what I could say to that. I knew it was true, but at the same time, I couldn't. Not after what they told me they would do if I went against their wishes with this wedding.

"Thanks again Rach. I'll call you tomorrow and we can try and go shopping or something," I promised.

She made no comment about the fact that I completely ignored everything she had just said to me, just smiled and said she would talk to me later before she went downstairs and left.

"Millie! Do you have…"

"Right here Brooke. Nonfat, sugar-free, vanilla latte and a maple nut scone."

"You're a lifesaver! Thank you so much. The car should be here any second, will you just let me know when it gets here?"

"Sure thing Brooke!"

I sat back down on the chair in the bathroom and looked in the mirror. I couldn't help but be slightly disappointed with my appearance. Yes, Rachel had done a fantastic job, and yes, my mom had picked out a fantastic dress, but there was something missing. My usual smile was gone. The light in my eyes had faded. The dimples that used to almost permanently show were now nowhere to be found. I wasn't _happy_ anymore. I just hoped that I could find a way out of this whole mess before I lost my happiness forever.

* * *

_A/N: Alright, so I officially have finished three chapters of this! Please let me know what you think! I have some ideas for how to get Brooke out of the marriage, but I'm still not entirely set on any of them, and if you guys have any ideas for how it should go down, please leave them in a review! I hope you are all still enjoying the story!_


	4. Chapter 4

As I stepped out of the limo and walked the few feet to the front door of Julian's parent's house, I couldn't help but be overwhelmed by the amount of paparazzi that had camped out to get photographs of Julian and me.

"Brooke! Julian! Over here"

"Is there really a bun in the oven?"

"Is it true that today is the wedding?"

"Did you really get married last week in the Bahamas?"

Their accusations were ridiculous. I knew if I gave them any kind of reaction though they would twist what I said into a confirmation of one of their crazy rumors, so I just smiled wrapped my hand into Julian's and walk a little closer to him so that they can get the shots they want for their magazine covers.

As soon as we stepped into the house I turned and made sure Nathan and Haley had made it in safe as well. I knew all of this was still pretty overwhelming to them and I would hate for them to get caught in the paparazzi crossfire.

"You guys good?"

"Yeah, Tigger. We're fine. You've definitely put us through worse," Haley teased.

"Those photographers have got nothing on the Brookie Monster," Nathan quipped.

I smiled. Having these two here was going to make it all a little bit more bearable for me.

"Are Peyton and Jake coming?" Haley asked.

"No, they couldn't find a babysitter for this morning. But Julian and I are meeting up with them at Tric later if you two want to come?"

"Sounds good, we'll be there," Nathan replied before Haley could come up with some reason as to why she was too busy to go to the club.

"Perfect. We're meeting there at 8."

"Come on Brooke. My mom will be wondering where we are."

I turned back and shrugged at my two friends as Julian pulled me away.

"Julian. Brooke. You look lovely."

I internally cringed. As cold and closed off as my parents were, Julian's were 1,000 times worse. Every word that came out of their mouths seemed so calculated, so rehearsed. It was like they were given a script on how to come off as polite and cold as possible in every social situation.

"Mrs. Baker. How lovely to see you. You really outdid yourself for this one."

It was true. The backyard looked lovely. There were five tables set up around the lawn, with the main table under the white gazebo Julian's grandfather had built himself. There were white flowers on all of the tables and white ribbons tastefully placed in the trees.

"Thank you dear. We hired Julianne to set it all up. She always does a fantastic job with these types of parties."

"I'll have to get into contact with her for the bridal shower my mom is throwing."

"Yes, I'll go get you her business card right now."

"Should we go find our seats?" Julian asked as his mom walked away.

"Yeah, I guess we should. It seems like everybody else beat us here."

I looked around the yard and smiled at the familiar faces. My parents were seated at the same table as Haley's parents, Lydia and Jimmy, Nathan's parents, Dan and Deb, and the Baker's. Nathan and Haley would be seated with Julian's four friends, Dave, John, Matt, and Steve. At our table would be the official bridal party chosen by our parents. Julian's business partners, Drew and Jonathon, would serve as groomsmen with his brother Clay being the best man. My bridesmaids would be my costars Nicki and Carrie, with Alex serving as my maid of honor.

While a part of me wished I could have Haley, Peyton, and Rachel serve as my bridesmaids, I was mostly happy they weren't. I knew this wedding wasn't real, so why should it matter if my bridesmaids were my real friends or not?

"Hey Brooke! Julian!" Clay said. Out of everybody at this table, Clay was my favorite. He was the only one of the Bakers to actually welcome me when I first met them.

"Hey Clay! How's it going? Any luck with the new agency?" I asked.

"Yeah, I actually was just talking to Nathan Scott about possibly representing him in the upcoming season. It would be great for business if I could sign somebody as well known as him."

"That's great Clay! I'll be sure to put a good word in with Nate for you."  
"Thanks Brooke! That would really mean a lot to me."

I finally turned my attention to the other people sitting at the table. Carrie, Nicki, and Alex all looked bored and I couldn't really blame them. This wasn't the most riveting of events, especially for people who weren't even friends with either bride or groom.

"So, Alex have you heard back from the casting agent for that new Coppola film?" I asked, trying to start some kind of interaction with these girls for appearances sake.

"Yeah, they just contacted my agent and said I could have the role. Filming starts September 4th."

"I thought that was the day we went back to _Hermosa_?" Carrie asked. Out of all of these girls, she was the most mean-spirited. There was just something about her that made it seem like she was always one second away from going truly crazy.

"It is. I talked to Lucas and he's going to write in an absence for me so I can miss a few days."

At the mention of Lucas's name I turned slightly pink. I had gotten him a job as a write on _Hermosa Beach_ while we were still dating as a way for us to spend more time together, and also maybe a little bit to make sure I got the good storylines.

"Oh, I'm sure Lucas will take care of it," Carrie responded.

Something about her tone was bothering me.

"Is there something going on between you and Luke, Alex?" I asked, letting my curiosity get the better of me.

"Well, we're supposed to meet up this week sometime for dinner. So maybe. Why? Is that going to be a problem for you?"

"No, why would it be? I'm the one that broke up with him, and now I have Julian." With that I turned and smiled at my fiancé and intertwined our fingers on the table.

"That you do, sweetie," Julian said with a smile. He was always much better at the whole fake relationship thing than I was.

"So when is the wedding again?" Nicki finally chimed in.

"It's scheduled for August 30," I said with a slight smile.

"Oh wow. That's so soon. I figured it wouldn't be until after the season was done filming."  
"Nope. We figured we might as well do it before filming started. That way we can start the rest of our lives with each other," Julian told her.

"Hmm" Nicki hummed. The looks she was giving Julian made me think that there was maybe something going on between them. I guess if I was going to continue to see Lucas, he had a right to see someone too. I just wish it didn't have to be Nicki. It was no secret that her and I weren't the best of friends. She had previously dated Jake, Peyton's husband, and was actually the mother of his daughter, Jenny. All of this happened while we were in high school, and nobody other than my friends, Nicki, and me knew the truth about who Jenny's mom was.

Servers were finally coming by with food and I could not have been more excited for it. Julian's mom might be a bitch, but she had the best chef in North Carolina.

As I tore into my mushroom and bacon omelet, I noticed that I was the only girl at the table who actually seemed to be enjoying her food.

"Is there something wrong with your food?" I asked. I might not love these girls, but that didn't mean I wanted them to starve.

"We start filming in a few weeks. We have to watch what we're eating if we want to look good on camera, Brooke. You should really slow down on that bacon," Carrie told me in a condescending tone.

I simply rolled my eye, grabbed another piece of bacon off of Julian's plate and looked around at the other tables. Haley and Nathan probably weren't enjoying the other people at their table, but it at least looked like they were enjoying each other's company. I was happy for them. They made sense together; Haley made Nathan a nicer person, and Nathan made Haley less uptight. Who knew? Maybe their wedding would be the next one I was attending.

"Julian, we should go say hello to the other guests and thank them for coming."

With that, we stood up, and started to make our way towards the other tables.

"Hi Ted. Victoria, you look lovely as always," Julian greeted my parents.

"Oh thank you Julian dear," my mother responded.

"Julian, come with me. I have some house representatives and a senator I want you to meet," my father said as he stood.

"Brooke, you look just as lovely as always," Haley's mother, Lydia, said in greeting.

"Oh, thank you Mrs. James. It's so nice to see you. How have things been?"

"Please, dear, call my Lydia. I just finished up treatment. So now I just have to go back in a few months and see if they declare me cancer free or not."

"Lydia, that's so fantastic! I'll keep you in my thoughts and send all the good juju your way."

"Thanks Brooke. Now go mingle with your other guests, I don't want to take up all your time."

"Alright, I'll se you guys later, okay? It was nice seeing you too, Mr. and Mrs. Scott. I'm sure I'll see you again sometime before the wedding."

"Sure thing Brooke. I think we planned dinner with your parents for Wednesday, so we'll hopefully see you then," Deb, Nathan's mom, told me.

"Yep, I'll be there. See you then."

I finally made my way over to where Haley and Nathan were at the beverage table.

"Hey you two. I'm so sorry you got put at that awful table. I told Sylvia to at least seat you with Bevin and Theresa. They aren't the best, but they sure as hell beat all of those people."

"It's fine Brooke. They really aren't too bad. Just talk a lot of business. They mostly keep to themselves, and we keep to ourselves," Haley reassured me.

"Alright. Well, I'm probably going to try and sneak out of here once we open the presents, which should be any minute now. Any interest in sneaking with me?"  
"Sounds good Tigger. Just let us know when you want to head out and Nate will call the driver to pull the car around back."

"Okay, well I guess I should get back to Julian so we can get this show on the road. The one good thing about this day is that I get presents!"  
"That's, our Brooke. Always looking on the bright side!"

* * *

Two hours and around fifty presents later, I was finally able to make my great escape from the shower.

"Julian, I have a bit of a headache. I think I'm going to head home and try and rest before tonight."

"Do you want me to go with you?"

"No, I'm fine. You should stay. Talk to the important people, make the connections, do whatever it is you do."

"I'll be at your house at 8?"  
"Sounds good. Love you babe." I hated saying these things to him, but as far as everybody at this shower was concerned, we were a very happy could who was very much in love.

"Love you too," he said as he pulled me in for a kiss. This led to a number of murmurs from different guests, commenting on how cute we were as a couple. I smiled; it would appear as our acting skills were finally working on people that actually knew us. This would make Victoria and Sylvia so happy, they might actually let us do things in public without each other.

After saying a few more goodbyes, I finally made my way around the back of the yard to where Nathan and Haley were waiting for me.

"Thanks, guys, you are truly lifesavers. I don't think my face could handle any more fake smiles. Do you guys just want to head back to my place and hang out for a bit?"  
"I wish I could Brooke, but I promised Quinn I would go to a new beach with her to see if it was worth shooting for her new portfolio," Haley apologized.

"No worries, tutor girl. How about you Nate?"

"I was going to head to the River Court and shoot some hoops with Lucas and Skills. Another time?"  
"Yeah, yeah, of course. Hey, when you see Luke can you tell him that I think I'm going to have to cancel our plans for tonight. I wasn't totally lying when I said I wasn't feeling too well. I think I might have a bit of a head cold or something."

"Yeah no problem. Hope you feel better Brookie."

I smiled at the nickname. Nathan was the only person I still let call me that. He had been the one to give it to me after all, when we were in kindergarten and first became friends.

The car finally pulled in front of my house. "Well, I guess I'll see you guys tonight, right?"

"Yeah of course. Wouldn't miss it for the world," Nathan reassured me.

As I walked into my empty house I felt really, truly sad for the first time since I became engaged to Julian. I normally didn't let myself dwell on the situation because there was really nothing I could do about it. Not when my parents threatened the people I loved. And who until eight months ago, I thought they loved too.

How they could stoop so low as to threaten Karen and her café I would never understand. I couldn't let them shut down Karen's Café and blacklist her among the restaurant elite in North Carolina. They couldn't take away her life like that.

To some people, this would seem like a silly threat. I could go against my parents wishes, help Lucas and Karen to move out of Tree Hill, and give them a loan to start a new café someplace else. But I knew that to Karen, there was only one Tree Hill, and it was home. Her café was the one place where it felt as though everything was better and everything was safe; I couldn't be the reason all of that was taken away.

So I once again forced away the sadness. I would be happy if I had to be, if it meant that I could secure the happiness of the people I loved. This wasn't my ideal situation, but Karen got to keep her café, and I still got to see Lucas most days. I couldn't be with him in public, but I could make that sacrifice.

I would be happy with what I had. They didn't call me Cheery for nothing, right?

* * *

_A/N: Okay, so I tried really hard to make this one longer. I hope you guys don't mind the Karen's cafe thing being the reason as to why Brooke is doing this whole thing. I just feel like Brooke is the type to do anything to protect those she loves, and I tried to explain hers, and mine, reasoning for why she was doing it. I also have basically decided where the plot is going to go from here, but if any of you have any thoughts/suggestions/things you would like to see in future chapters, please let me know!_


	5. Chapter 5

Later that day, I was upstairs in my room touching up my makeup after my nap when I heard a loud noise coming from downstairs.

"Mom? Dad?" got no response.

"Lucas?" once again led to no answer.

I was starting to get nervous by this point. Sure, some of my friends had keys to my house, but they rarely entered without some kind of warning.

"Haley? Nate?" Still nothing.

I grabbed my phone with every intention of calling the police when suddenly I felt something hit the back of my head.

"What the fu-" I turned around and immediately started trying to dial 911. I was guessing the person in all black with a mask over their face and a knife in their hand wasn't in my house for a social call.

Before I finished dialing those three little numbers, I suddenly felt a strange prickly sensation in my stomach before everything went black.

* * *

"Hey Luke. Brooke told me to tell you she wasn't feeling that well so she probably wouldn't be able to see you tonight," Nathan told me as soon as he got to the River Court.

"Seriously? This is probably the last day we'll be able to see each other for a while. I have meetings all this week with the other writers, and next weekend she's out of town for that movie premiere. Is she at home now?" I couldn't lie; I was a little bit frustrated with her. I understood not feeling well, but when we were trying to make a relationship, or whatever the hell we were, work with such hard schedules to work with, canceling one meeting could mean we wouldn't see each other for a month. I knew I had kept our plans when I hadn't been feeling that well before.

"Yeah, I think she was planning on taking it easy until we went out tonight. Something about having a cold."

"Okay, I think I'm going to head over and see her now then. I can stop by my mom's café first to get that chicken soup she loves." At least this way when I showed up uninvited at her house, I would have something good to offer her.

"Alright, man. Just make sure you give her time to be ready for tonight. And don't forget you have to watch Jenny tonight. Peyt and Jake would be pissed if they had to miss another outing."

"I know. I won't forget it. I'll be at their place by 7."

* * *

I started to come to and tried getting up, only to find myself in too much pain to really get anywhere.

What the hell had happened to me? The last thing I could remember was getting home after the wedding shower. I quickly tried to figure out everything I knew. Nathan and Haley couldn't come over because they both had plans, I hadn't felt that great anyways, and then what? Had I taken a nap? I wasn't in bed, that was for sure. But my head hurt too much to open my eyes. I think I was on the floor maybe? Had I taken a shower? No, I had clothes on still. But my shirt was sticky. That was weird.

_Oh god, I don't feel good. I'm so lightheaded, so tired. Everything hurts. Oh god. That was blood on my shirt. I had been stabbed?_

I needed to try and get help, to call somebody, crawl out of my house and hope a neighbor saw me, anything. I tried to move in the direction of where I hoped my nightstand was, but I was so dizzy that trying to move just made me want to vomit.

_This is it. This is how I'm going to die_, I thought, just before everything went black once more.

* * *

"Hey Ma. Any chance you have some chicken soup you could spare for your favorite son?" I asked as I walked into the café.

"Well, as long as it's for my favorite son, I can whip some up. Is it for you?"

"Nah, I was with Nathan and he said Brooke hadn't been feeling well today so I thought I would drop some soup off for her."

"Are you sure that's a good idea? I know that you two are still friends, but I don't want to see you get hurt."

"Relax, it's just soup mom. I'm not proposing to her or anything."

"Well, all right. Come back to the kitchen with me. I just served the last of it, so I'll have to make some more."

"Are you sure? I can stop by the store and get her Campbell's or something?"

"Are you kidding? I know she broke your heart, but I can't let you serve the poor girl store bought soup."

"Thanks mom. This really means a lot to me. I know you weren't the biggest Brooke fan after everything that happened, but you know how her parents are. It was probably them telling her to break it off."

"I know, I know. I just hate to see the two of you so unhappy. She was like a daughter to me and now I never see her."

"I think she's afraid to stop by and see you. She kinda thinks you hate her."

"I could never hate her!"

"I know that, but she doesn't. She's used to people giving up on her when she makes a mistake. She's just not entirely used to people caring that much about her."

"Hmm," my mom hummed.

After that, we fell into a comfortable silence as she heated up the broth for the soup.

Once the soup was done and in a bag with some bread, I said goodbye for my mom and headed for the door.

"Make sure to tell Brooke to stop by sometime. I miss her. We should all get together for lunch or coffee."

"I'll pass on the message, Mom."

* * *

I pulled onto Brooke's street and parked across from her house in my normal spot. As I was getting out of my truck, I was almost hit by a small black car.

"Hey! Watch where you're going. You could kill someone going that fast!" I yelled to the speeding car. "Asshole," I muttered as they ran the stop sign on the corner and kept going.

When I got up to Brooke's door, I immediately noticed her door was slightly open.

_That's odd, she's normally good about locking the door as soon as she get's home._

She had dealt with some stalkers in the past and I knew she was always slightly paranoid that something would happen with one of her more... _interesting_ admirers.

"Brooke, are you in here?"

When I got no answer, I moved further in the house. Nothing seemed to be disturbed, so I was hopeful that she had just forgotten to shut the door all the way.

"Brooke?" I moved towards the stairs.

_She must be asleep. Nathan said she wasn't feeling well. Probably just taking a nap in preparation for her big night._

I walked into her room and started to panic. She wasn't in her bed, and I didn't see any lights on in the bathroom. I moved to the other side of the bed, and stared in horror at the scene in front of me.

There was Brooke, lying on the ground, covered in blood.

"Brooke! Brooke, can you hear me?" I yelled, desperate for a response of some kind as I knelt down to feel for a pulse. I finally felt it after a few seconds. It was weak, but she was still fighting.

"Luke, what's happening to me," she mumbled as I tried to pick her up.

"I'm going to get you out of here and to the hospital, Brooke. Everything is going to be okay."

"Okay. I'm just so sleepy. Everything hurts, Luke. Can I just go to sleep?"

"Not yet, pretty girl. Please don't go to sleep just yet."

"Can I sleep soon? I'm so tired."

"Soon, pretty girl. I promise."

I picked her up, and started for the stairs. Her house wasn't far from the hospital and it would be faster for me to just take her there than to try and wait for an ambulance.

I finally made it out of the house and ran for my car. I wanted to get her out of there without causing too much of a scene. She would hate it if everybody knew what had happened before she even made it to the hospital.

"It's going to be okay Brooke," I reassured her as I laid her down in the backseat of my truck. "I promise everything will be okay."

I quickly kissed her forehead and then ran to the driver's side. I knew I had to make it to the hospital quickly, but I couldn't risk speeding with her barely strapped into my car.

* * *

Ten minutes later I made it to the ER and ran inside with Brooke in my arms.

"Help! I need some help. My friend, she's been stabbed or something. I don't know what happened, there's just so much blood. Please help her."

Finally a few doctors took her away on a stretcher and a nurse came by to ask me some questions.

"Can I ask for your name," she asked as she walked me to some waiting room chairs.

"I'm Lucas, Lucas Scott."

"And the girl you brought in?"

"Brooke Davis. You've gotta keep this quiet. Nobody can know she's in here. It would be all over the news before dinner, and she would hate that attention right now."

"Of course Mr. Scott. We will make sure all of our staff know to keep this discreet. Now, do you know what happened to Ms. Davis?"

"No, I got to her house, the door was open, and I found her in her bedroom bleeding."

"I'm going to have to inform the police of what happened. When they get here, they're going to want to talk with you."

"Okay. I'll be waiting here. Please let me know what's going on with Brooke. She can't die. She, she just can't."

"I'll inform you as soon as I know anything, Mr. Scott."

"Thank you."

* * *

The police arrived a half hour later and I spent around an hour talking to them, telling them everything that happened that day, starting with talking to Nathan at the River Court, and ending with me finding Brooke.

I had called Nathan and Haley shortly after arriving, and Haley had told everybody else, including Victoria and Ted. Everybody had arrived while the police were there, except for her parents.

"I just can't believe they aren't here. Their only daughter is in the hospital in critical condition and they can't even fucking show up? This s ridiculous," Haley fumed.

To be honest, I wasn't too shocked her parents hadn't showed up yet. They used to not be so bad, but once her dad had been promoted to CFO at his company, they had stopped caring about family and started caring more about status and money.

"Hales, I'm sure they'll show up eventually, just like they always do. You know they like to make an entrance," Nathan reassured his girlfriend.

"I'm not sure. Victoria probably doesn't want anybody to know anything has happened until they can further assess the situation. She's always been like that, calculating, cold. She wants to make sure if people find out, it's on her terms and that it's actually important enough to find out," I said. I knew Haley wouldn't like the answer, but it was the truth.

"That's bullshit. Brooke was attacked by god knows who. We need to find out who the hell did this to her, and now. People need to know what happened so that if they saw anything, they ca go to the police."

"I know it's bullshit, but that's just how Ted and Victoria think."

Haley sighed and sat back down next to Peyton, defeated. She knew I was right and it killed her to think that a mom or dad could care so little about their child's wellbeing that they would weigh the publicity pros and cons before coming to the hospital.

"Well, where is she?"

I turned around, hearing the voice of the person I least expected to see at the hospital, sure that I must be some kind of fluke. There was no way he would be here. He didn't care enough and nobody could have told him.

But as soon as I turned, I saw that it was in fact Julian Baker, the one person I had least expected to be here.

"Hello? Where's Brooke? Is anybody going to answer me or am I going to have to find a nurse?"

"Um, she's still in surgery. Last we heard she was in critical condition, but they were hopeful she could make it out alive. She lost a lot of blood, and the knife hit her in the small intestine, so they have to repair the tear and do some blood transfusions," Peyton finally answered. The rest of us were still staring in shock.

"Okay. I'm going to go ask a doctor if they know anything," he replied arrogantly.

"They just came by here five minutes ago with that update. There probably hasn't been any real change since then," I finally spoke.

"Lucas. What are you doing here?"

"I found her there alone in her room, bleeding to death. What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I don't know, usually when your fiancée is in the hospital, you go and visit. Make sure she comes out of it alive."

"You and I both know you don't give a shit about her. I bet it was you who did this to her. Couldn't stand the thought of losing your freedom, so you thought you could just kill her off."

We were in each others faces now, ready to strike at any moment.

"How do we know it wasn't you? Couldn't stand the thought of her marrying another man after she turned down your proposal. Oh yeah, I know about that. She told me all about it one night in bed. She really is a good fuck; I can't blame you for not giving up. I guess I never thought you could be this desperate though."

At that, I had finally heard enough and punched him in the jaw. I heard Haley yelling, Nathan and Jake trying to talk to us and pull us apart, but all I cared about in that moment was what he had just said to me. There was no way they had slept together; I knew she woulnd't do that to me. But a small part of me was still worried that they had, or that they would be sleeping together soon. They were getting married after all, they would be expected to have babies together, be a family.

As we fought, I recognized that this was stupid. That Brooke was lying in a room somewhere as they cut her open to fix her up and yet here I was, fighting over some stupid words Julian had baited me with.

Nathan and Jake finally pulled us apart right as a nurse came by.

"I don't want to know what just happened here, because I really don't want to have to kick any of you out. I just thought you would all like to know that Ms. Davis is out of surgery. I can allow two at a time in her room. I want no fighting over this, you'll all get your turn to see her." She spoke like she was talking to a bunch of preschoolers, but after what had just happened, I couldn't really blame her.

"Nathan and I will go first. The rest of you can figure everything out while we're in there," Haley quickly decided.

As the rest of us sat down, Julian and I started silently glaring at each other, just daring the other person to try and claim going to her room next, when suddenly I heard another voice I hadn't been expecting.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Lucas Scott."

"Victoria. How kind of you to grace us with your presence. We called you over an hour ago."

"Yes, I know. And not that it is any of your business, but I was in an important meeting that simply couldn't wait. Now I really think it would be for the best if you would leave now, Lucas. I'm sure Brooke would like to see Julian next, anyways."

"Victoria, I'm not leaving. I'm the one who brought her in here. I'm the one that found her. I'm the one who…" I trailed off. I was going to say the one who loves her, but I was sure that she would not appreciate that comment.

"Yes, and I'm the one who can call security if you don't leave right now. So thank you for your help, but please go home."

"It's okay, Luke. We'll stay. I'll call you if anything changes," Peyton quietly reassured me.

"Fine. I'll leave, but I'm coming back tomorrow to see her," I spat.

"Oh, I'm sure you won't find that necessary. I'm having her transferred to Charlotte in the morning."

I knew there was nothing I could do at this point, so I just turned on my heel and walked away. I knew I needed to stay calm and hope for the best with Brooke, but it was going to be extremely difficult.

I would find a way to see her and make sure she was okay. I just needed to come up with a plan.

* * *

_A/N: So this is the real start of the drama. I hope it isn't too much, and I hope Julian and Victoria are coming across as believable enough antagonists; I'm kind of worried that I might have overdone it. This idea was totally different than what I originally intended with this story, so we'll see how the rest of it goes. I have a vague plan of what's going to happen but nothing is set in stone, so if you have any thoughts/suggestions/ideas, please review!_


	6. Chapter 6

"Mother, I swear to god. We were supposed to leave this place an hour ago. Now the press will all be out there and I really don't want to have to talk to anybody right now." It had been two weeks since the incident and the hospital in Charlotte was finally releasing me.

"Brooke, you know you must make some kind of statement. They've been waiting two weeks to hear from you, it would be a shame to pass up an opportunity like this."

"Mom, I really don't want to do this right now. I still feel like crap, I look horrible, and I want to have some time at home before I speak to anyone about what happened to me."

"Come on Brooke, you and I can make an appearance together today, appear as a united front, urge anybody who knows anything to go to the police, all of that bullshit," Julian finally chimed in.

"That's funny, I don't remember asking for your opinion. Now as I was saying mother, I will not be making any kind of appearance today. Tell the hospital I want to leave out of the back and have the car pull around. This way, they can still tell I'm leaving, but they won't really see me and I won't have to talk to anyone. Then you can go and schedule an interview on _The Today Show_ or something," I tried to compromise.

"I suppose that would work. I'll have Millicent call your agent to have them set up an interview with Matt."

"Prefect," I mumbled, "now can we please leave? I just want to be in my home."

"Yes, about that. Your father and I think it would be best if you simply moved in with Julian at this point."

"What? The deal with this whole thing was that I got to stay in my house until the wedding. And then, I could stay there whenever I was filming."

"Yes, but think about it. With everything that happened at your home, would you really like to be there alone again? And this way, it will look even more like Julian is helping you through this traumatic ordeal."

"I _wouldn't_ be alone in my house though. Haley has already moved in. We talked about it when I first woke up and decided she would stay with me. She already gave her landlord a 30 day notice."

"This is non-negotiable Brooke. If you don't move in with him, I will take it as your ending our agreement and I will be forced to go through with closing Karen's Café"

"This isn't fair though! You're the one changing the terms here!"

"And you're the one who got attacked leaving us with no choice but to change the terms."

"Fine," I hissed, "I'll move in with him. But I expect my own bedroom and bathroom. I may have to live in your house, but I won't be sleeping with you."

I couldn't believe this was happening. I had promised Lucas he could stay with me while I was still recovering and now I would have to give him the news that not only could he not stay with me, but I was moving in with Julian. It was bad enough that my mother had made it impossible for him to come visit me, but we had decided that him living with me would be a good arrangement; my mother would never know and it could feel like we were a real couple again. Of course Victoria had to go and change plans again. It was like she had a Brooke's almost happy again radar that went off anytime I was starting to think things could turn around.

* * *

"Okay, Ms. Davis, your car is ready for you and we've got most of the press believing you'll be leaving out of the east entrance, so the coast is clear," my nurse, Julie, came to tell me.

"Thanks so much!"

"Its no problem at all. Please call or visit if you are experiencing any extreme pain or discomfort."

"I'll be sure to let you know if it seems like something is wrong. Mom, are we ready?"

"Yes, Brooke. I had Millie send all of your things to the car while you were in the restroom. Now, when we get out there, I need the two of you to really act like a couple. Brooke, make sure to lean on him for support when you get out of the wheelchair. Julian, act like your trying to protect her from the cameras. We really need to sell it now."

We made it down to the car and I was thankful to see that the majority of the paparazzi had apparently believed that I would be leaving out the east exit. We would still have to move quickly to avoid them all figuring out where I actually was, but at least we had a head start.

I made my way out of the wheelchair and felt Julian there holding my hand and supporting me. Knowing my mother was watching, I turned and pressed a quick kiss on his cheek before nuzzling into his neck.

I waited until I heard a few camera clicks before I ducked into the open car door.

I clambered into the car with Julien's car and we quickly departed from the hospital. "Can someone hand me my phone. I need to text Haley and tell her the new arrangement." She would be livid, I knew. Haley was not the biggest fan of my mother or her parenting skills.

_Hey Hales. Victoria is insisting that I move in with Julien for the time being. Sorry I won't be there, but feel free to still stay at my place if you want_

_Brooke, is everything okay? Are you sure you can't come home? And I think I'll ask Nate if I can stay with him. Thanks for the offer though._

_Yeah, I'm fine. This sucks, but I don't really have any other choice. Love you and I'll call you sometime later today._

Haley's reaction was to be expected. I was glad she would be staying with Nathan instead of at my house alone; it just felt like something bad could happen there again. Now I just had to let Luke know about the change in plans and hope he wasn't too mad.

_I'm so sorry but Victoria is changing plans and now I have to stay with Julian. I'll try and call you once I know what's going on. xx_

I figured it would be best to just jump right into the conversation instead of beating around the bush; Lucas appreciated honesty. When 30 minutes later I still had no response though, I started to worry. This wasn't like him. He always texted back, even if he was mad at me. I would have to try and call him when I got back to Julian's.

* * *

"Brooke, you should really put your phone away and try to rest," Victoria scolded me. We had finally made it back to my new home and I was getting settled in one of the many guest rooms.

"Mom I have work to do. The director is pushing back the start of filming and I have to talk to him and my agent about when I'll be cleared to go back to work."

"You'll go back September 14, Brooke. Ten days rest should be plenty. I'll call Erica and let her know the plan. She can tell the director and everything will be fine."

"You know the doctors and nurses recommended a full three weeks rest, Mother. I don't want to push myself too hard and have something happen in my recovery."

"And I said you'll be fine with ten days. We don't want to jeopardize the future of the show by having you push back filming too much. It has to be able to premiere in January, so we have to start by the 14th. This is non-negotiable Brooke."

"Fine Victoria. We'll start earlier than I'm supposed to and risk having to send me back to the hospital. That's a brilliant plan. I'll let John know of your decision right now. I'm sure he'll be thrilled."

"Don't take that tone with me, Brooke. You will be fine. I'm sure of it."

"Can you just leave my room now, mom?"

"I must get going to meet your father anyways. Don't forget to take the pain medication in two hours."

"I won't mom. I'll see you later."

Alone at last. Julian had to go back to his office and talk with the strategists about the upcoming campaign; it was already September and his ratings had been dipping lately. They were hoping that him playing the role of dutiful fiancé would give him an up in approval ratings and make him seem more sympathetic. That was why this entire engagement had been arranged in the firs place. People wanted their politicians to be married, settled down, not going to Vegas every weekend and hooking up with whatever girl they could find.

As for me, after the I won the Emmy, people stopped finding me so exciting, I guess. They were saying I had reached my peak already and for Victoria, this was unacceptable. She figured by stepping up my private life and letting it be more public than I had previously, people would once again be interested in me and in watching my show. It wasn't the best situation, but it was what I was dealing with. I was still determined to find a way out of the arrangement before the actual wedding without hurting Karen or Lucas. I just had to get Julian to screw up in a big enough way that my ratings would go up if I left him.

An hour of resting later and I still hadn't heard back from Lucas. I was starting to get worried and decided to give him a call.

It rang twice before I got, "You've reached Lucas Scott, please leave a message and I'll get back to you."

This was getting weird. Even when he was mad he normally always texted back and he never ignored my calls.

_Lucas, please text me back. I'm getting worried. Is everything okay?_ I quickly typed out.

As soon as I hit send, I got a text from Haley.

_Brooke, have you watched the news at all today?_

_No, I've been sleeping mostly since I got home._

_You should turn on channel 5 right now._

_Is everything okay?_

_Just turn on the news_

That was weird, but I did as I was told.

"And now, we can exclusively confirm the breaking news that Lucas Scott, writer for the popular TV series _Hermosa Beach_ has been arrested for the attempted murder of lead actress Brooke Davis. Sources say he was emotionally disturbed after Ms. Davis broke things off with him eight months ago. He is currently in police custody and will be formally arraigned sometime this evening."

What. The. Fuck. Lucas didn't do this to me. He was the one who found me, the one who saved me. I had to do something about this. There was no way he could go to jail for this.

I picked up my phone and started making some calls. This was going to be another long night.

* * *

_A/N: sorry it's been a while! I moved into a new house and we didn't have any internet so there was no way to upload what I had. Hope you guys like the chapter. As always, if you have any thoughts, ideas, or suggestions, please either review or message me_


End file.
